The Other Boleyn Girl

The #1 New York Times bestseller from "the queen of royal fiction" ( USA TODAY ) Philippa Gregory is a rich, compelling novel of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue surrounding the Tudor court of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the infamous Boleyn family.

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of the handsome and charming Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane, and soon she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. With her own destiny suddenly unknown, Mary realizes that she must defy her family and take fate into her own hands.

With more than one million copies in print and adapted for the big screen, The Other Boleyn Girl is a riveting historical drama. It brings to light a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe, and survived a treacherous political landscape by following her heart.

Lushly written, with characters you can't help but want to get to know even more. You feel as if you've been drawn into the time of the Tudors, where love, sex, and politics are often combined into a frothy, heady mixture.

Did not like this book at all. There are better fiction books about Mary Boleyn than this one. There were inconsistencies in the story telling and too many "modern"feminist observations/thoughts made by women who likely didn't give that kind of thinking the time of day. Other books by this author seem to be better written.

If you want to learn about the British royal monarchy in centuries past, read this. Not only is it an exciting read it will leave you feeling like you have a real insight into the lives of Henry the IV and at least 2 of his 8 wives. Wonderful writer.

If you've ever wished for a glimpse into a royal court in medieval England, you are in for a wild ride with this book. Highlighting the scandal, betrayal, and the power struggle to stay in the king's good graces, this book will make your own family drama seem like a walk in the park compared to these twisted relationships.

The basic premise: the Boleyn girls' maternal uncle Thomas Howard seeks more prestige and power for his family. So, with the full agreement of the Boleyn parents, he aims first Mary and then sister Anne at King Henry VIII to be his mistresses. The novel details the rivalry between the sisters as they take their turns enticing the king. The story is narrated by Mary from the age of 13 in 1521 to age 28 in 1536. At times, this choice of narrator works, but Mary is not present for many of the more dramatic events in Henry's life, so everything feels like a second-hand account. The first part, where Mary is the King's mistress and has his children moves along well and is entertaining. The end, where Mary does her best to help her sister when Anne's marriage is coming undone, is well-written and suspenseful. The middle, however, lasts for several years and very little happens during this long phase where Henry tries to find a way to annul his marriage to Katherine so he can marry Anne. At times, Mary's narration seems a bit too much like a history teacher, but this happens rarely. Mary-as-narrator really doesn't have the insight to describe the inner lives of the other characters, and this makes them appear less complex than they should be. In terms of historical accuracy about the relationships of Mary, Anne, and Henry, many experts apparently disagree with many of the novel's plot points. I won't detail the arguments here, but readers should keep in mind this is a work of fiction, not history. This is a decent page-turner about a fascinating period in English history. The plot may be historically inaccurate, but the general background feels authentic and the writing pulls you along.

This novel is an interesting retelling of the love story between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII. Instead of being told in the perspective of either Anne or Henry, Philippa Gregory decides to tell the story through the eyes of Anne’s younger sister, Mary. The book begins innocently, displaying both affection and rivalry between the Boleyn siblings, and progressively becomes darker and more sinister. It is a beautiful Historical Fiction piece, and spurred me to read other Historical books about the reign of King Henry VIII and then his daughter, Queen Elizabeth.